Related Experiment Videos
Keratocyte density: comparison of two confocal microscopes
Jay W McLaren1, Cherie B Nau, Anna S Kitzmann
1Department of Ophthalmology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
Eye & Contact Lens
|January 25, 2005
Summary
The ConfoScan 3 and Tandem Scanning confocal microscopes yield similar stromal cell densities in normal corneas. However, the ConfoScan 3 has a greater effective depth, which must be considered when comparing studies.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Cell Biology
- Microscopy
Background:
- Confocal microscopy is crucial for in vivo imaging of corneal cells.
- Accurate quantification of stromal cell density is important for understanding corneal health and disease.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the volumetric densities of stromal cells in normal corneas using the ConfoScan 3 and Tandem Scanning confocal microscopes.
- To assess if the ConfoScan 3 provides significantly different cell density measurements compared to the Tandem Scanning microscope.
Main Methods:
- Fifty corneas from 25 normal subjects were imaged using both confocal microscopes.
- Keratocytes (bright objects) were counted in a defined area of mid-stroma frames.
- Effective sample volume was calculated based on scan depth and cell visibility.
Main Results:
- The ConfoScan 3 had a significantly greater effective focal depth (25.9 µm) than the Tandem Scanning microscope (11.9 µm).
- Mean stromal cell density was similar between the ConfoScan 3 (23,996 cells/mm³) and Tandem Scanning microscope (23,013 cells/mm³).
- The difference in cell density measurements was not statistically significant (P = 0.15).
Conclusions:
- Both confocal microscopes provide comparable stromal cell density estimates in normal corneas.
- The ConfoScan 3's larger effective depth requires consideration when comparing data across different confocal microscopy studies.
- Accurate estimation of sample volume depth is critical for reliable cell density quantification.